‘Fine all ravers’ call by Walsall councillor
A Walsall health boss has slammed revellers who broke Covid-19 rules to attend illegal raves and parties.
Councillor Stephen Craddock, Walsall Council’s portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said he hopes every single person who attended such events were slapped with a fine.
West Midlands Police revealed that owners of venues in Walsall and Birmingham have been hit with £10,000 penalties after officers broke up huge gatherings involving hundreds of people.
In Walsall, more than 100 people attended a rave in a unit on Phoenix Business Park in Stafford Street while around 250 were discovered at a Birmingham shisha lounge in a separate incident.
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Councillor Craddock said: “It is completely unacceptable and fortunately, the police have intervened.
“Every single person that was there should be fined, frankly, for breaching the rules and not only the owner. People need to be aware that the police will be taking action where those breaches occur.”
Meanwhile, Walsall College students are being regularly taught on safety measures amid concerns they could be flouting rules.
Councillor Ian Robertson said he had noticed a number of young people not wearing masks in shops near the college.
Dr Jayne Holt, assistant principal, told a health and wellbeing board meeting on Tuesday that the college was taking steps to tackle the issue.
She said: “We have found that the behaviour of our students in college has been superb. They have been wearing their masks, they have been social distancing.
“However, as soon as they go out of college, we’ve then found them in the town gathering together. I can assure you that every lesson that takes place at the college, we start with coronavirus safety.
“When they are in college, their behaviour is impeccable but it’s when they leave the college we have concerns. We are trying to deal with that in every lesson to give some reassurance.”
